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Which one is better? 26" vs. 26" and 32" vs. 32"

post #1 of 8
1/7/10 at 1:48am
Thread Starter 
Ok, I've been searching for awhile now for a replacement for my Sony KDL-26M4000.

I would like to stay w/ a 26" set since that is the largest size that will fit where I'm going to put a TV.

I've narrowed it down to the Sony KDL-26L5000 and Samsung LN26B360. Which has the better panel? Sony's site says the 26L5000 has an 8-bit panel, but Samsung's site shows that the LN26B360 has a higher contrast ratio than the Sony. Also, Sony shows that the viewing angles are 176/176, but Samsung doesn't show that either.

Which set is better?


=================

I'm also looking at three Panasonic Viera sets that have the IPS Alpha panels (better viewing angles).

They're all 32" and will be used mostly with HD QAM channels and SD channels. I will also connect it to my PC and watch online HD content.

I will be sitting anywhere from 4 to 10 ft. away from it. Also, I know everyone says that manufacturer contrast ratio measurements don't mean much, but what if all the TVs being compared are from the same manufacturer? Their contrast ratio measurement does mean something then, right?


The choices are:

Panasonic TC-L32G1 - 120Hz, 720P, 20000:1
$529.95
http://www2.panasonic.com/consumer-e...model.TC-L32G1


Panasonic TC-L32S1 - 60Hz, 1080P, 15000:1
$456.39
http://www2.panasonic.com/consumer-e...model.TC-L32S1


Panasonic TC-L32X1 - 60Hz, 720P, 12000:1, iPod dock for viewing / listening to content on an iPod
$434
http://www2.panasonic.com/consumer-e...model.TC-L32X1


Which one should I get?
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post #2 of 8
1/7/10 at 4:18am
The Sony is better. You can't compare contrast ratios between manufacturers since different companies measure contrast ratios differently.

The Panasonic G1 is the best of the three. The S1 isn't bad, but the X1 is by far the the worst because it DOES NOT have the IPS Alpha panel and has terrible viewing angles.
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post #3 of 8
1/9/10 at 1:55am
Interesting take on that, BoilerJim. I've seen that you've recommended the Sony KDL-26L5000 on another thread as well. I'm also in the market for a 26" or so TV.

I spent a long time looking at the Sony KDL-26L5000 and the Samsung LN26B360 side by side at our local Sears the other day. I couldn't deny (even after messing with the settings), that the Samsung looked brighter and more vivid/crisp. The blacks seemed blacker as well. The Sony was less bright (even with brightness maxed out), and seemed sort of washed-out.--like the whole picture had a faint white glow to it. But the Sony seemed a bit smoother, as in, at close distance you couldn't see that weird pixelation when movement occurs as much with the almost too vivid Samsung. The sony still looked good, especially when compared to the other cheapo 26" they sat next too, which bled through like a son of a gun.

I went in thinking I was going to go for the Sony, but seeing it side by side with the B360 gave me pause. Damn!

Anybody else ever compare these two panels or know where there might be a side by side comparison??? I'd love to hear others opinions.
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post #4 of 8
1/9/10 at 2:26am
Thread Starter 
Thanks BoilerJim. As you may have seen from the other thread I started regarding the three Panasonics, I went with the S1 because I will also be connecting it to my PC from time to time and the 1920x1080 resolution is great with that.

I did go to Fry's and had a chance to look at the X1 (the only one of the three they had a display for) next to the Sony 32L5000 and a Samsung LN32B360.

The X1's PQ was better than both the Sony's and the Samsung's and the viewing angles were better too. With the Sony and Samsung, colors would get lighter and washed out as I moved further out from center axis. The Panasonic's colors didn't change at all.

Another thing that bothered me w/ the Sony and Samsung was that they took longer to change channels than the Panasonic.

One thing I hope the Panasonic has (it's currently on the way to me) is the ability to save picture settings for each input which is something I've seen on various Samsung models.
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post #5 of 8
1/9/10 at 5:03am
Quote:
Originally Posted by IsLNdbOi View Post

Thanks BoilerJim. As you may have seen from the other thread I started regarding the three Panasonics, I went with the S1 because I will also be connecting it to my PC from time to time and the 1920x1080 resolution is great with that.

I did go to Fry's and had a chance to look at the X1 (the only one of the three they had a display for) next to the Sony 32L5000 and a Samsung LN32B360.

The X1's PQ was better than both the Sony's and the Samsung's and the viewing angles were better too. With the Sony and Samsung, colors would get lighter and washed out as I moved further out from center axis. The Panasonic's colors didn't change at all.

Another thing that bothered me w/ the Sony and Samsung was that they took longer to change channels than the Panasonic.

One thing I hope the Panasonic has (it's currently on the way to me) is the ability to save picture settings for each input which is something I've seen on various Samsung models.

Congratulations! I think you chose a winner. Every time I go into Sears and see the 37" Panasonic S1, I'm blown away by how good it looks. Unfortunately, it's sitting off to the side by itself, so it's hard to get a good comparison with the other panels.

Let us know how you like it.
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post #6 of 8
1/9/10 at 5:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by tundramike View Post

Interesting take on that, BoilerJim. I've seen that you've recommended the Sony KDL-26L5000 on another thread as well. I'm also in the market for a 26" or so TV.

I spent a long time looking at the Sony KDL-26L5000 and the Samsung LN26B360 side by side at our local Sears the other day. I couldn't deny (even after messing with the settings), that the Samsung looked brighter and more vivid/crisp. The blacks seemed blacker as well. The Sony was less bright (even with brightness maxed out), and seemed sort of washed-out.--like the whole picture had a faint white glow to it. But the Sony seemed a bit smoother, as in, at close distance you couldn't see that weird pixelation when movement occurs as much with the almost too vivid Samsung. The sony still looked good, especially when compared to the other cheapo 26" they sat next too, which bled through like a son of a gun.

I went in thinking I was going to go for the Sony, but seeing it side by side with the B360 gave me pause. Damn!

Anybody else ever compare these two panels or know where there might be a side by side comparison??? I'd love to hear others opinions.

I'm a subscriber to the on-line version of Consumer Reports. They rank the Sony KDL-26L5000 as #1 in the 26" size with a rating of "68" (whatever that means). The closest Samsung in the 26" size is the LN26B460 had a rating of "61" which placed it six spots lower than the Sony. Consumer Reports did not review the LN26B360.

However, I formed my favorable opinion on the Sony long before I read the Consumer Reports review. And, I might add, I own two Samsung 650s and think they are both great TVs, so I'm not forming my opinion on the 26" Sony because I'm a "fanboy."

The bottom line is to pick which TV looks best to you and don't second guess your choice.
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post #7 of 8
1/9/10 at 9:39am
That's a LOT of cash you are planning on spending on such small TV's. I'd keep an eye out for a bargain/sale on a major brand rather than which exact set you are going to pay full retail for. I picked up a 42" LCD LG on sale for what you are looking at spending on 32" sets. If I would have had specific requirements I would have paid hundreds more.
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post #8 of 8
1/10/10 at 4:13am
Thread Starter 
Got the S1 yesterday. I like it very much so far. Reviews claiming a weak speaker were not true (for me at least). So far, I've kept the volume at 15 / 100 (I think it goes all the way up to 100).

There's only one problem I can find. When I first unpacked and wall mounted the unit, I got some skin oil on the screen. So, I got a micro-fiber cloth, fogged up the spots (w/ my breath) that I got the skin oil on and wiped them up. While doing this, I found a spot on the screen halfway down (in the middle b/w the top and bottom of the screen) and around 3 inches from the right edge that whenever fogged up, you can see a circle imprint or spot on the screen. Not sure what it is, but I only see it when I fog up that spot. I've connected the set to my PC via HDMI and have run Dead Pixel Buddy on it. The spot is not visible on any of the colors I cycled through (blue, red, green, yellow, white, black) and there are no dead or stuck pixels.

I've tried cleaning that area using a LCD screen cleaning kit, but that didn't "fix" the spot.

Anyone have any idea what this could be? Is it something I should worry about / exchange the set with a new one for?
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